Tire construction



0. ZANCAN.

TIRE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 192e.-

1,385,653. f Patemuuly 26,1921.

UNIT-ED STATES PATENT oFElcE. y

oTTAvTo zANcAN, or yivnw YORK,l N. Y.

TIRE CONSTRUCTION.

Application flied April 15, 1920.A serial No. 374,035. f

To all whom t 'may-concern.

Be it known that I, OTTAvio ZANCAN, subject of theKing of Italy,residing at New York, countyA of NewrYork, State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Im provements in Tire Constructions,'of whichthe following is a specification.v p

'Iliis'invention relates to improvements in tire construction,pertaining-more particularly tostructures employing the usual-shoe orcasingV andan inner inflatable structure.

Various types of tire formations have been contemplatedand employed, theform generally usedbeing that of an outer shoe, casing or treadstructure of heavy material-generally fabricated-the casing 'beingformed hollow to receive an inner tube, 'the walls of which are more orlessflexible, the tube being inflated, the inflation serving to causethe wallsof the tube to tightly contact the interiorof the casing andthe rim formation after; the casing has been-seated, inflation. takingplace' after the casing' has `been properly positioned. This provides apneumatic.support for the casing, serving to absorb the shocks, etc.,present Vin service.

v v Then the tube becomes leaky', as by puncturing, etc.,removal isrequired and another substituted, and this requires,.if substitution ismade while .the wheel remainsjin position, .that the vehicle be' jackedupso as to re'- -move the casing from ofi' the ground, after which theholding ring is removed, the side .of -the shoe or casing drawn outwardtoy open the. interior, the deflated 'tuberemovech and the newtiibe-deflated-inserted in position, 'after which the reverse foperation takes place; The operation isaslow and a Vtedious one owing'to the difficultiesof: properly positioning the' inner tuberi, and thecasing, in@ addition to which the l'jack manipulation both before andafter is-required.

The present invention is `designed to overcome some ofV thesedifficulties' by changing the formof the .inner tube fromv that of anlendless type to that of a'close'd type, inthat the tube, whileapproaching they length of an endless tube, is less-than such length,the

Y'ends being closed. The `annular formation VVVof the 'tube when thelatter is inflated; since of thefends.- ofthe tube serves to preventcreeping of the latter, thus eliminating the possibility of'placing astrain on the portion of the tube at the inflation nipple. The tube thusprovides the pneumatic cushion r for the casing with the exception ofthat portion which lies between the ends of the tube, and as thisisrelatively small as compared with the circumferential length of thecasing, it does not materially affect the imilformity of support underservice conditions, the partition .preferably having a formation whichsimulates the action of the pneumatic support in use. The majordifference in result, however, is the presence of a portion of t-hecasing support which. need not beremoved when substitution of one tubefor another is required, this portion beingv suflicient to maintain thecasing in proper position when the'partition lies in the vertical planeof the wheel axis and at the underside of the wheel. Hence, if the wheelbe placed in this position there is no requirement for raising thecasing from Athe ground. And this non-requirement of removal of thepartition produces the result that it becomes unnecessary to release thecasing at this point, so that the rim itselfmay be carried upon theouter side ofthe wheel for some. distance, thus providing a rigidsupport for thecas'- ing at this point, preventing liability ofthe shoeworking loose at-theends of the tube..

rIfhis permits the usual holding ring'to be changed to a segmentalelement of a .length -to complete the ring with thisviixed. rimlportion, it being possible to employ a cross-sectional form of segmentto properly lit the casing, the incomplete ring'beingfcapableof ready'positioning and vsecuring in position; at the same time it can beremoved bodily to expose a sufcient length of casing as to per` mit thesubstitution of the tubes without affecting that portion of the casingwhich is being supported by the partition.

VTo these and other ends, therefore, the nature of which will be readilyyunderstood 4as the invention is hereinafter disclosed, said Finventionconsists in the improved construction and combination of parts,hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings,and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,in which similar reference charactersindicate similar parts in each of theviewsf-l Figure lisa side elevationof awheel showing one embodiment o'f the present invention appliedthereto. Y,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, taken through the tube-anchoringpartition.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the retaining segment.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1, the view beingon an enlarged scale and the shoeand inner tube beinomitted.

ig. 5 is a perspective view of a supporting member for thetube-anchoring partition.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a member employed in securing thepartition in place.

'In the drawing A indicates a wheel having a felly, a., this being ofsuitable form, the particular structure shown in the drawing being thatof a detachable rim structure, the rim members aV and a2 being more orless of the usual type, these being held to position by the ring co3 andclamps a4. Rim member a2 is slightly varied in the present construction.

10 indicates a shoe or casing of the usual type, this being secured inposition between the fixed flange of rim member ya2 and a twopart memberof the opposite side, the part 11 being fxedly positioned-extending acertain angular distance of the circumferential length, of the casing,vthe remainder of this distance being taken up bythe member 11a which isdetachably secured'in position by suitablemeans, such, for instanceaslugs 11'? adapted to pass throughopenings in rim member wz, as in Fig.4. y

Theinner tube anchoring partition is indicated at 12 and shown somewhatin detail in Fig. 2, this being formed of resilient material in themain, and comprising al web portion 12a extending somewhat radially andfrom which extend the anchoring portions 12b these extending in oppositedirections fromweb`12, As will'be seen, the outer walls of theyanchoring portions are comparatively thin, while' the inner wall isprovided with a bulging portion12, giving to the recess orpocket whichforms the anchor an enlarged mouth, a contracted throat and an enlargedpocket formation beyond the throat, the end of the inner tube 13 beinglocatedV in thisenlargedpoclet formation. When the tube isinserted-deflated-and then inflated, it-'will be readily Vseen thatbulge12cj will act-to prevent the tube reaching a 'diameteras great asthat within the enlarged pocket, with the ,result vthat the tube'endtakeson the form of an enlarged headwhichis prevented from beingdrawn out lof the pocket by the bulge 12. Since both ends of the tubeare thus pocketed and anchored, the tube will be held against anytendencyto creep. Y

Thepartition web may be 'solid or it may, as shown inthe drawing, beprovided with Having thus described an insertible member 121 ofsuitable. material.

The partition is secured in position by being secured to rim member a?,a member 14, shown in Fig. 5, having an inwardly-projecting portion 14a'adapted to extend into the partition in alinement with the web12a, saidportion 14a being formed with an opening to receive the projectingportion 15a of a member 15 secured to the rim with portion 15a extendingthrough an opening in the rim. Member 14 is located between thepartition and the rim, and the partition is secured in place by asuitable bolt 16 having its head located in a recess of the web 12a andprojecting throughy portion 15a, the outer end receiving a nut.Obviously, this form of securing the parts in position is more or lessillustrative.

Since the outer walls of the anchoring pockets are relatively thin, itwill be understood that if the tube becomes deflated under serviceconditions, thereis less likelihood of the structure'becoming damaged bythe traveling on a flat tire; invaddition, there vis less liability tobumping.under such conditions; f Y

With the shoe orcasing in position, it is necessary only to place thewheel in position where the web 12n is at the bottom of the wheel and inthe verticalplaneof the wheel axis, and remove member 11a, this memberhaving v`an angular length to overlap the mouths of both pockets. Thispermits the casing to be opened out sufficiently to remove the deatedtube and insert a new tube-in deflated condition-the ends ofthe tubebeing Vpushed into the pockets, the infiating tube being, oflcourse,'properly positioned. 'The casing is then restored, member 11areturned to position and the tube inflated. During this operation, thecasing is held in positionv by the fixed section 11, which also servesto' strengthen l,the structure in the vicinity of the partition duringservice.

VVhile'I/havev herein shown and described a preferred arrangement ofparts, it will be readily understood thatchanges and'mo'dificationsVtherein may be founddesirableor essential inmeeting the exigen'ciesofuse, -and I desire, to` bel understood 'as reserving 'the right to makeany and all such changes or modifications as maybe `founddesirable oressential, in so far as the same'may fall within the spirit'and scope ofthe'invention as expressed in the accompanying-claims, when broadlyconstrued. f

my invention, what I claim as new is: g 4

1.l In tire' construction, anannular ,shoe creasing, an inner infiatabletube having closed ends, a memberl for anchoring the tube ends, vanddetachable means for retaining the shoe orcasing in position'andadapted, When removed, to permit casing manipulation to substitute onetube for another.

2. In tire construction, an annular casing or shoe, an inner inflatabletube having closed ends, a rim, and a member fixed to the rim foranchoring the ends of the inflated tube.

3. In tire constructionJ an annular casing or shoe, an inner infiatabletube having closed ends, and a member for anchoring the tube ends, saidmember having a Web portion and anchoring pockets on opposite sides ofthe Web.

4. Tire construction of the type of claim 3 characterized in that theanchoring pockets have a configuration to form an anchoring pocket witha contracted throat leading thereto, whereby tube inflation Will producecontracted tube portions spaced from the tube ends.

5. An anchoring member for the ends of inner tubes comprising a ymemberof resilient material having a Web portion and hollow portions extendingfrom such Web portion in opposite directions, said extended portionshaving external configurations to fit Within the interior of a casing orshoe, the internal configurations of each hollow portion being adaptedto produce a pocket to receive and anchor the inflated and closed end ofa tube.

6. An anchoring member of the type of claim 5 characterized in that theinternal configuration of each pocket includes a bulging portion spacedfrom the bottom of the pocket and adapted to produce a contraction inthe iniiated end at a point spaced `from such end.

7. An anchoring member of the type of claim 5 characterized in that themember includes means for securing it in fixed position relative to arim, With the means l0- cated at the Web portion of the member.

8. An anchoring member of the type of claim 5 characterized in. that themember includes means for securing it in fixed position relative to arim, said means including an element underlying the pocket-containingportions and having side flanges to support member portions. v

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of a subscribing Witness, this 12th day of April 1920.

OTTAVIO ZANCAN.

Witness :v

OSCAR CARLBERG.

